Faculty Development Center

Welcome to the ACC’s new Faculty Development Center. The materials and resources offered here are intended to help ACC’s faculty in their important role of facilitating collegial learning experiences. Faculty are the foundation of our educational activities. ACC faculty help the field of cardiology continue to evolve and lead the way for improvements in cardiac patient care. Teaching and helping colleagues learn are indelible professional activities that require your time and effort. The materials and resources provided in ACC’s Faculty Development Center are here to help enhance faculty’s abilities while at the same time making your work easier and experiences more enjoyable.

Based on feedback from faculty and learners, ACC’s Faculty Development Center focuses on five key aspects of leading and facilitating learning sessions:

Learning-centered sessions should align with the science behind learning and knowledge development. We store “knowledge” in structured “schemas” (i.e., cognitive constructs that organize information according to the manner with which they will be dealt). Schemas are made up of knowledge and “know-how.”

Why is this important? Our schemas determine how new information is processed and, therefore, dictate learning and change. “Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.” New or modified knowledge can only be put into practice in the form of new or modified behaviors when schemas are made or modified.

In this video, Geoffrey D. Barnes, MD, FACC starts with a case (draws upon learners’ experiences) and then presents three questions that serve as the structure for his presentation. The structure helps Dr. Barnes focus on the right type and amount of content.

Engaging speakers occupy your attention and hold your interest. Think about different speakers or faculty you would describe as engaging. How did they occupy your attention? How did they hold your interest?

You can lead an engaging session by:

Considering yourself a facilitator of learning

Using analogies and sharing stories

Getting learners involved with an ARS and other active learning strategies

Understanding the value of a presentation framework begins with common ground on the definition of a “presentation.” Faculty often say they are preparing for their “presentation” when they are working on slides using PowerPoint®, or a similar tool. However, slides are not the same thing as your presentation or your session.

PowerPoint® is a tool faculty use to organize content, lead presentations, and facilitate learning.

As a tool, faculty can use PowerPoint® (or similar programs) to help organize content within a framework. A framework can be used like an outline for a paper. An effective presentation framework will provide a structure for content, prompt incorporation of learning-centered strategies, and help faculty dedicate time for learner engagement. A presentation framework can also help you keep content focused.

Moderators play a critical role in successful learning sessions. Effective moderation can enhance the learning process. Moderators serve as facilitators, connectors, supporters, extenders and clarifiers – all in support of participants’ learning.

A moderator’s success starts with preparation for the session and relies upon the moderator’s ability to listen carefully to presenters’ comments and be prepared to:

Ask presenters clarifying questions to help ensure there are no misunderstandings

Make connections, when appropriate, from one presenter to another

Provide additional information, if needed, in order to help participants grasp key concepts and points

Facilitate a discussion among learners and presenters

Rephrase participants’ questions to help facilitate discussion, when necessary